PREFACE

The regulation of work in existing buildings is one of the most highly variable parts of the building regulatory system. The major U.S. model codes lack specificity and differ significantly from one another in the way they address rehabilitation. The process of state and local adoption introduces additional variations in an attempt to implement workable rules for application in the field. Unpredictable or unrealistic requirements are an impediment to the beneficial re-use of the existing building stock. The result in too many urban areas is a deteriorating stock of existing buildings that cannot be rehabilitated economically.

The Nationally Applicable Recommended Rehabilitation Provisions (NARRP) contained in this document offer a new approach to regulation of work in existing buildings. They are written to cover the entire spectrum of potential work, from repairs to reconstruction, in every type of building, including historic buildings. They also clarify, for the first time, the extent to which existing conditions that fall short of current code requirements for new construction must be addressed in connection with other building improvements. The provisions are written to ensure that public health, safety and welfare are maintained or enhanced as work is performed, and to require more upgrades to be included as more work is performed on a voluntary basis. While in many cases these upgrades will not bring a building into compliance with current codes for new construction, in every case they represent improvements in conditions that could otherwise be legally permitted to continue unabated in existing buildings.

In addition to the substantive provisions that constitute the NARRP, this document includes extensive Commentary giving background on the underlying issues, explaining how to use the document, discussing the intention of specific provisions, identifying possible alternative approaches and highlighting the relationships between various sections of the NARRP. The Commentary appears in shaded boxes that are clearly set off from the substantive provisions, and is included to assist potential adopters and users in interpretation and application of the provisions.

The NARRP include various references to building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical codes, and are intended to be used in conjunction with such codes. They also require upgrades for accessibility, seismic protection and energy conservation in certain situations, and they generally prohibit the use of obsolete products containing asbestos or lead in any type of work. The underlying philosophy was to remain within the scope of current regulatory requirements for work in existing buildings, so no attempt has been made to introduce expanded requirements for asbestos or lead-based paint abatement, disaster mitigation or similar types of improvements that might be desirable but are not presently required under code provisions relating to existing buildings. The Commentary accompanying the NARRP includes references to a variety of currently available guidance materials on these topics.

At this point the NARRP are the latest word, but certainly not the last word, concerning the regulation of work in existing buildings. Users of the document are encouraged to provide feedback on the NARRP to the Office of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20410.